Why Howard Schultz Is So Successful

Howard Schultz is the American chairman and CEO of Starbucks. Although Schultz is most famous for his Coffee business, he was also the former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics and was on the board of directors at Square Inc.

Early Career

Schultz graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and proceeded to gain employment as a Salesman, selling appliances for Hammerplast who sold European Coffee makers across the USA. In five years, Schultz had climbed the ladder to become director of sales and he observed that he was selling the most coffee makers to a small coffee business in Seattle, known at the time as Starbucks Coffee Tea and Spice Company. He was selling more to these few stores than he was to Macy’s.

Schultz knew he had to go to Seattle when the increase in numbers never stopped. He was selling more and more coffee makers to them every month. Schultz still fondly remembers the first time that he walked into the original Starbucks and at the time it was only 10 years old and only existed in Seattle.

Howard Schultz’s net worth is an estimated $2.6 Billion

Howard Schultz and modern Starbucks

In 1982, one year after meeting with the founders of the original Starbucks, Schultz took the position of director of retail operations and marketing for the rapidly growing coffee business. At this time, they were only selling coffee beans and not coffee to drink. Zev Siegl, one of Starbucks’ co-founders highlighted Shultz’s “fabulous communication skills” as a major strength.

Schultz was determined to have a big impact on the company from day one and made Starbucks’ mission his own. It was whilst travelling Italy in 1983 that an important idea struck him. He realised that Starbucks should not just sell coffee beans but sell coffee drinks as well. He recalls that it wasn’t just the romantic idea of coffee, it was the sense of community and the connection between the people, the coffee and one another. He couldn’t wait to get back to Seattle and describe how he had “seen the future”.

The company’s founders did not have the same enthusiasm for opening coffee bars within Starbucks’ stores and they insisted that it wasn’t for them. However, Schulz was persistent until the owners finally allowed him to open a coffee bar in a new store that was due to open in Seattle. It was an immediate success and it was attracting hundreds and hundreds of customers per day.

However, the rapid success of the coffee bar confirmed to the owners that they didn’t want to go in the same direction as Schultz and they didn’t want to get too big. A disappointed Schultz left Starbucks in 1985 to open a chain of coffee bars on his own, called Il Giornale and it quickly became successful.

“At an early age, my mother gave me this feeling that anything is possible, and I believe that.” – Howard Schultz

A couple of years later, Schultz was able to purchase Starbucks with the help of investors and merged Il Giornale with his former employers. He then became CEO and chairman of Starbucks, which was to be known as the Starbucks Coffee Company. Schultz had to use all of communication skills to bring investors around to the idea that Americans would pay high prices for a drink they were used to getting for 50 cents. At that time, most people weren’t aware of the differences between high quality coffee and the instant varieties, this was on top of the fact that coffee consumption was on the decline in the USA.

Schultz publicly resigned as Starbucks’ CEO in 2000, however, he returned as the company’s boss in 2008 and in 2009 he famously said, when describing Starbucks’ mission; “We’re not in the business of filling bellies; we’re in the business of filling souls.”

The Continued Success of the Starbucks Coffee Company

There is no single company is selling more coffee to more people in more places than Starbucks. The company had expanded to include more than 17,600 stores in 39 countries all across the globe by 2012. By 2014, Starbucks had surpassed 21,000 stores with new stores reportedly opening every single day and the company now attracts in excess of 60 million customers per week.

Howard Schultz: 6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers

Conclusion

Howard Schultz has combined incredible communication skills, persistence, strategic thinking and a clear vision to impact hundreds of millions of people’s lives and make himself a billionaire in the process.

Schultz’s story teaches us that although others may not share our vision, we have to remain true to what we believe is possible and pursue that vision anyway.

Jermaine Harris is a Coach, Trader, Author and Speaker. He is passionate about human potential and empowering others to change their lives in the same way he did. Jermaine believes that the opposite of being 'stuck in a rut' is possible and explains how in his book, The Rut Buster. Get to know Jermaine better at: jermaine-harris.com

It’s Time You Know the Truth About Mental Health for Entrepreneurs

We live in a world where entrepreneurship is constantly glamorized. We see the lives of those fearless risk-takers and admire their drive to run off virtually no sleep in pursuit of their passion. It makes us feel alive seeing people who truly went for it. It inspires us and it motivates us beyond belief.

However, what we fail to see is their entire story. We compare ourselves to their hustle, yet we have no idea how they truly got there. This can cause us to develop expectations of what being an entrepreneur is which can be deceiving.

We fail to understand that there are countless paths to becoming an entrepreneur. While one person might forgo college to start a business, another could work decades in a business setting mastering their craft. You have to choose which path is best for you based on your own skills & passions.

Along my own path, I’ve learned that it’s great to be inspired, but to avoid comparing myself to successful entrepreneurs before I know their full story.

Mastering a plan of attack against these 3 key uncertainties will help you push forward through the unknown:

1. When it’s time to go all in

More and more people are pursuing a side hustle outside of their 9-to-5. With the internet, we have the power to connect with people from almost anywhere. This gives us a huge opportunity to put ourselves out there with potential customers.

Today, marketing is more about connecting with customers and creating an awareness of our company online. This presents massive opportunity for us to tell our story, but can also make us feel like we’re never truly doing enough.

Addressing these anxieties is crucial to your well-being. Since there’s usually no linear path towards entrepreneurship, it can be harder to gauge whether or not you’re on the right one. It also pays to speak with role models who are where you’d like to be one day. They might tell you that they actually regret going all in when they did & that gradually building your side hustle is the right move.

While you can’t always take advice word for word, it can bring some clarity to the timing on your business. If you still have a great deal of uncertainty yourself, come up with a plan of attack. After all, uncertainty doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You can look at it as a world of possibilities. Coming up with a planned regimen will help you to manage uncertainty to your advantage.

“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long university education that I never had — every day I’m learning something new.” – Richard Branson

2. Fear of not working hard enough

When your mind is constantly telling you that you’re not doing enough, it can become exhausting. This, in turn, actually takes you further away from your dreams. This is why it’s vital to create a plan amidst the unknown outcomes that you face.

If you’re just getting started on your side hustle and have no idea where it will take you, creating a simple schedule can protect your mental well-being. Whether you decide to spend 5 – 10 hours a week on your side hustle or you know it’s time to go all in, it pays to set guidelines. Otherwise, worry creeps in where it doesn’t belong.

Another key business strategy is to only focus on 1 or 2 main things. Building a business involves wearing many hats. If you can get clear on which ones are the most essential in your current phase, you will have more energy to keep moving forward. This will make it easier to scale your business in the long run. Whether this takes a couple months or a couple years, having a systematic resolution during each phase will help you to succeed.

3. Fear of wasting time

We’ve all heard the statistics that over half of all businesses fail within the first year. Taking it further, you might be wondering if your side hustle is even worth all the work you put in. Dealing with all these worries can become debilitating. While countless articles tell you to go for your dreams, those dreams still need to pay off!

Whether your dreams allow you to have financial freedom or get you closer to your dream job, it’s important to get clear on how the steps you take today will benefit you tomorrow. If you feel like you could be wasting time, try honing in on your focus. Instead of trying to take over the world, decide to become a master in one thing at a time.

“If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Taking it a step further, write down your dream life in a one-page summary. If the work that you’re putting in now could lead to that dream, then the next step is to decide whether or not it’s scalable. For instance, if you’re writing articles, decide to put out content for a certain number of months.

After a certain time period of sticking to this goal, you can check back in and reevaluate your current plan. But, remember good things take time. Be realistic on how you gauge the worthiness of your strategy. For example, if you want to get paid to write, but haven’t written many articles, consider building out your library of content first.

The skills you’re mastering now might help you perform better in your day job or ensure your company successfully executes on offerings in the future. It all begins with deciding to avoid comparing yourself to the glitzy version of entrepreneurship that only exposes a portion of the truth. Instead, decide to master what you can control – your mindset & the work that you put in.

How are you making sure your side hustle ends up being profitable for you? Let us know some of your tips and advice in the comments below!

Earn More When You Adopt These 7 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, you’re always on the lookout for the next big moneymaker. But what if I told you that the wealth that you strive for is already at your fingertips? You are your own best asset because by learning how to become your most effective self, you will maximize your earning potential and realize your dreams of entrepreneurship.

In fact, you can earn more if you adopt the 7 habits of successful online entrepreneurs I have listed below:

1. A Mindset Geared Toward Success

Successful entrepreneurs have a mindset geared towards success! In fact, they must haveunique qualities in order not just to survive, but to thrive! Entrepreneurs have an optimistic spirit and know that things will turn out for the best in the long run. They are determined to succeed despite all the odds that are stacked against them. Nay-sayers? No problem, they brush away negative comments with a shrug and press forward in their quest to succeed. Finally, they don’t accept a “no”; in fact, they interpret “no” as a “not right now,” and revisit the topic later.

2. Fearlessness

Entrepreneurs have a fearlessness when it comes to taking calculated risks. Don’t take that to mean that they are blind to the consequences! They know the adage “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and accept the responsibility for making things right for themselves and their teams. When others fear trying new things, failing, or being embarrassed, successful entrepreneurs are researching the fearful situation, developing a game plan, and jumping in to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” – James Stephens

3. Great Time Management

Successful entrepreneurs have great time management skills. They know that their business is viable only if they respond to customers in a timely manner. They can juggle that responsibility with marketing, accounting functions, and operations work, and never drop a ball! They schedule their time wisely and include slots for phone calls, prospecting, servicing clients, and performing day to day tasks with a very exact plan for each day. Every minute counts!

Indeed, they work long hours that stretch frombreakfast meetings to business after hours events. This attention to time management keeps them on task and productive. Inevitably, this helps them earn more money.

4. Use the Tools of the Trade

Successful entrepreneurs know how to harness technology to simplify their lives and aid them in time management. They keep on trend with the latest technological advances and take advantage of them to their full advantage. From iPhones to keep them in touch and upload quick photos to social media, to websites equipped with tools to help them manage their customers, to smart watches to keep them running on time, successful entrepreneurs use all the tools of the trade!

5. Ongoing Learning is a Priority

Successful entrepreneurs know that ongoing learning is a priority that goes hand in hand with running their own businesses. The world today is changing more rapidly than ever. Think about it. Our parents grew up in homes with kitchen telephones mounted on the wall and computers were something that only NASA used. Now, we hold tiny telephone/computer combos in the palm of our hands. We have instant access to ever-changing data on a moment’s notice.

All this advancement comes, however, with a cost. That cost is the price of remaining on top of all these tools, new advancements, and changing information. A great example of this is Facebook with their ever-evolving algorithms, without keeping abreast of how to make your social media compete, it becomes irrelevant noise. Successful entrepreneurs are always mastering new skills, technologies, and ideas to help them propel their businesses up to the next level.

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” – John Wooden

6. Mastery of Face to Face Networking

While social media and the internet are all great tools, they are trumped by establishing human relationships. Successful entrepreneurs are masters of face to face networking. You’ll find them attending trade shows, conferences, chamber of commerce meetings, and social events. They will strike up a conversation with strangers at a pub or gathering. When other people fear putting themselves out there, the greatest entrepreneur will often be the first one to introduce themselves. For this is where they build the human relationships that drive the business.

Despite being optimistic and fearless, successful entrepreneurs know firsthand that there are times when they will, figuratively speaking, get knocked down. People will put down their ideas, and competitors will steal their customers or products. Even family members may doubt when the next “payday” is coming.

Even when faced with serious obstacles, money woes, and defeats, these fearless entrepreneurs will bounce back. Oftentimes, this happens over and over again. Yet, they will still plow forward, undaunted by the challenges they encounter. This never give up attitude is what truly sets entrepreneurs apart from the crowd.

The next time you are wondering why other entrepreneurs are more successful than you, look within yourself. All of these qualities are disciplines that are attainable with an adjustment of mindset and attitude. Once you accept the challenge of these disciplines, you’ll see stunning results. In fact, you will quickly see that you can earn more when you adopt the 7 habits of successful online entrepreneurs.

Which one of these 7 habits will you implement this year in your life? Let us know below!

(Infographic) 9 of the World’s Most Influential Female Entrepreneurs

The perception that the business world was a male-driven environment has been shattered in recent times by the extraordinary feats of many female entrepreneurs who have chased their dreams and worked tirelessly to make them come true. The wealthiest female entrepreneurs in the world not only should be proud of their own successes on a personal level but can also take pride in influencing and inspiring businesswomen everywhere to dream big, as anything is achievable.

This infographic below features nine female entrepreneurs who, each in their own way, had a burning ambition inside them and turned that passion into their life’s work, building multibillion-dollar enterprises along the way.

Some have done this in the traditional sense of entrepreneurship by starting small-scale companies and evolving them into global businesses – Spanx founder Sara Blakely is one such example. In her 20s, she greeted visitors at Disney World and sold fax machines door-to-door just to make a living. At 29, she took a leap of faith and set up her shaping underwear business from life savings of $5,000. She has now accrued wealth of more than $1 billion.

Some influential female entrepreneurs had already gained worldwide recognition by the time they started their own businesses. For instance, Beyoncé Knowles was a world-famous pop star who then doubled up her music career with a fashion label. This, along with her music and regular activism makes her a role model for millions of women worldwide.

Women like these have broken down barriers for female entrepreneurs everywhere and made it clear that you don’t need to be male to be recognized as a successful entrepreneur of great influence. Also, women can succeed in industries which many perceive to be male-driven; Cher Wang’s HTC is one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in the world. To quote Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”

Check out this infographic from All Finance Tax below that outlines 9 of the most influential female entrepreneurs in the world:

Which one of these women do you admire most and why? Comment below!

How Letting Go of Perfection Can Help You Build a Strong Company

The word “perfect” has a nice ring to it. After all, isn’t that what we should all strive for? We should be straight A students, be perfect at our jobs, raise perfect kids and have perfect bodies. The idea of being a perfectionist initially sounds like a good personality trait to possess. These are people who refuse to accept any standard short of perfection. They must have perfect lives and successful businesses, right?

If you answered “yes,” you’d be wrong. Those people who claim to be perfectionists most often do not have a perfect life and definitely do not have successful businesses. Studies have shown that perfectionism causes depression and holds people back from achieving big things in their lives and businesses.

Ibrahim Al-Haidos, founder of Fursan, has had lots of experience with perfectionism in his life. He was raised by a family of perfectionists, and he had the tendency to live his life that way himself for a long time. Now that he has shed those unrealistic expectations of himself and others, he shares his experience with perfectionism and the 5 lessons he has learned from it to build a strong and successful company.

1. Don’t Strive for Perfection

Perfect doesn’t exist. No one and nothing can ever be perfect. And you cannot succeed 100% of the time. It is perfectly acceptable to not achieve the results you were after all of the time. Strive for excellence and do the best you can. If you miss the mark, learn from it and apply those lessons the next time around.

Ibrahim’s family was full of perfectionists. His mother even measured the distance between the plate and cutlery. Initially, Ibrahim believed he couldn’t accept anything less than perfect in his own life and business. But striving for perfection slowed him down in the beginning. “Perfection simply is not possible, but you can achieve excellence. I needed to understand that it is ok not to get it right on the first try.”

“Looking for perfection is the only way to motivate yourself.” – Ronnie O’Sullivan

2. Embrace Diversity

Each employee you hire has his own set of unique skills. Each person will bring her own strengths and weaknesses to the table. Just like you and everything else in this world, your employees are not perfect. Some will be excellent speakers while others struggle with public presentations. Some will excel at learning new technology while others struggle. Never assume that your employees are all equally skilled at everything, and never expect perfection from anyone.

“One of my MBA professors at HEC Paris gave me some brilliant advice. She told me to always treat my employees the way I would want them to treat our customers. What I’ve found is that if you invest heavily in your employees, they will help you build an amazing company.”

3. Always Just Be Yourself

If you own your own business or are a leader within one, remember that you got into that position because of your unique strengths and abilities. Instead of attempting to be someone you are not, be yourself.

Your coworkers and employees don’t expect you to be perfect so never try to be someone you aren’t. They genuinely want to hear your own words, thoughts and feelings. And it is okay to be vulnerable when you don’t have all the answers. People respect you.

4. Put People First

Perfectionists have a tendency to focus on “stuff” rather than the people in their lives. Instead, put your heart and efforts into connecting with the people in your life. You are a human being, just like your lowest paid employee. You put on your pants the same way as everyone else, act like it. Don’t be afraid to show your human side to people. Be humble. Not only will you get more respect, your employees will work harder for you. People respect people, not machines.

“Being a part of human to human interaction is something I’ve enjoyed immensely.”

5. Trust your People

If you don’t trust the people you hired, you shouldn’t have hired them. And if you do trust your people, show it. Micromanaging your employees will only make them feel unwanted and unnecessary. You hired them to do a job, so let them do it their way.

Accept people as they are. Being flawed is a part of being a human being, and they will get it wrong from time to time. Again, let go of perfectionism and trust that your employees have your best interest at heart.

There is a big difference between perfect and excellent. You can always strive for excellence, but you should never chase perfection nor should you expect it from others. It is a race that cannot be won. Embrace failure. Trust yourself and your employees. Apply this to your life and business, and you will be successful.

Trying to Build Charisma? Pay Attention to How You Speak

Have you ever listened to yourself talking and said how on earth do I sound that terrible? Most of us don`t realize they have voice issues until we accidentally listen to our voice or seek professional help. But the truth is, 38 percent of your charisma comes from the way you talk.(more…)

Marwan Jamal is a fitness and health blogger at healthline.com. He’s a great fan of the gym and a healthy diet. He follows the trends in fitness, gym, and healthy life and loves to share his knowledge through useful and informative articles.

It’s Time You Know the Truth About Mental Health for Entrepreneurs

We live in a world where entrepreneurship is constantly glamorized. We see the lives of those fearless risk-takers and admire their drive to run off virtually no sleep in pursuit of their passion. It makes us feel alive seeing people who truly went for it. It inspires us and it motivates us beyond belief.

However, what we fail to see is their entire story. We compare ourselves to their hustle, yet we have no idea how they truly got there. This can cause us to develop expectations of what being an entrepreneur is which can be deceiving.

We fail to understand that there are countless paths to becoming an entrepreneur. While one person might forgo college to start a business, another could work decades in a business setting mastering their craft. You have to choose which path is best for you based on your own skills & passions.

Along my own path, I’ve learned that it’s great to be inspired, but to avoid comparing myself to successful entrepreneurs before I know their full story.

Mastering a plan of attack against these 3 key uncertainties will help you push forward through the unknown:

1. When it’s time to go all in

More and more people are pursuing a side hustle outside of their 9-to-5. With the internet, we have the power to connect with people from almost anywhere. This gives us a huge opportunity to put ourselves out there with potential customers.

Today, marketing is more about connecting with customers and creating an awareness of our company online. This presents massive opportunity for us to tell our story, but can also make us feel like we’re never truly doing enough.

Addressing these anxieties is crucial to your well-being. Since there’s usually no linear path towards entrepreneurship, it can be harder to gauge whether or not you’re on the right one. It also pays to speak with role models who are where you’d like to be one day. They might tell you that they actually regret going all in when they did & that gradually building your side hustle is the right move.

While you can’t always take advice word for word, it can bring some clarity to the timing on your business. If you still have a great deal of uncertainty yourself, come up with a plan of attack. After all, uncertainty doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You can look at it as a world of possibilities. Coming up with a planned regimen will help you to manage uncertainty to your advantage.

“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long university education that I never had — every day I’m learning something new.” – Richard Branson

2. Fear of not working hard enough

When your mind is constantly telling you that you’re not doing enough, it can become exhausting. This, in turn, actually takes you further away from your dreams. This is why it’s vital to create a plan amidst the unknown outcomes that you face.

If you’re just getting started on your side hustle and have no idea where it will take you, creating a simple schedule can protect your mental well-being. Whether you decide to spend 5 – 10 hours a week on your side hustle or you know it’s time to go all in, it pays to set guidelines. Otherwise, worry creeps in where it doesn’t belong.

Another key business strategy is to only focus on 1 or 2 main things. Building a business involves wearing many hats. If you can get clear on which ones are the most essential in your current phase, you will have more energy to keep moving forward. This will make it easier to scale your business in the long run. Whether this takes a couple months or a couple years, having a systematic resolution during each phase will help you to succeed.

3. Fear of wasting time

We’ve all heard the statistics that over half of all businesses fail within the first year. Taking it further, you might be wondering if your side hustle is even worth all the work you put in. Dealing with all these worries can become debilitating. While countless articles tell you to go for your dreams, those dreams still need to pay off!

Whether your dreams allow you to have financial freedom or get you closer to your dream job, it’s important to get clear on how the steps you take today will benefit you tomorrow. If you feel like you could be wasting time, try honing in on your focus. Instead of trying to take over the world, decide to become a master in one thing at a time.

“If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Taking it a step further, write down your dream life in a one-page summary. If the work that you’re putting in now could lead to that dream, then the next step is to decide whether or not it’s scalable. For instance, if you’re writing articles, decide to put out content for a certain number of months.

After a certain time period of sticking to this goal, you can check back in and reevaluate your current plan. But, remember good things take time. Be realistic on how you gauge the worthiness of your strategy. For example, if you want to get paid to write, but haven’t written many articles, consider building out your library of content first.

The skills you’re mastering now might help you perform better in your day job or ensure your company successfully executes on offerings in the future. It all begins with deciding to avoid comparing yourself to the glitzy version of entrepreneurship that only exposes a portion of the truth. Instead, decide to master what you can control – your mindset & the work that you put in.

How are you making sure your side hustle ends up being profitable for you? Let us know some of your tips and advice in the comments below!

Earn More When You Adopt These 7 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, you’re always on the lookout for the next big moneymaker. But what if I told you that the wealth that you strive for is already at your fingertips? You are your own best asset because by learning how to become your most effective self, you will maximize your earning potential and realize your dreams of entrepreneurship.

In fact, you can earn more if you adopt the 7 habits of successful online entrepreneurs I have listed below:

1. A Mindset Geared Toward Success

Successful entrepreneurs have a mindset geared towards success! In fact, they must haveunique qualities in order not just to survive, but to thrive! Entrepreneurs have an optimistic spirit and know that things will turn out for the best in the long run. They are determined to succeed despite all the odds that are stacked against them. Nay-sayers? No problem, they brush away negative comments with a shrug and press forward in their quest to succeed. Finally, they don’t accept a “no”; in fact, they interpret “no” as a “not right now,” and revisit the topic later.

2. Fearlessness

Entrepreneurs have a fearlessness when it comes to taking calculated risks. Don’t take that to mean that they are blind to the consequences! They know the adage “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and accept the responsibility for making things right for themselves and their teams. When others fear trying new things, failing, or being embarrassed, successful entrepreneurs are researching the fearful situation, developing a game plan, and jumping in to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” – James Stephens

3. Great Time Management

Successful entrepreneurs have great time management skills. They know that their business is viable only if they respond to customers in a timely manner. They can juggle that responsibility with marketing, accounting functions, and operations work, and never drop a ball! They schedule their time wisely and include slots for phone calls, prospecting, servicing clients, and performing day to day tasks with a very exact plan for each day. Every minute counts!

Indeed, they work long hours that stretch frombreakfast meetings to business after hours events. This attention to time management keeps them on task and productive. Inevitably, this helps them earn more money.

4. Use the Tools of the Trade

Successful entrepreneurs know how to harness technology to simplify their lives and aid them in time management. They keep on trend with the latest technological advances and take advantage of them to their full advantage. From iPhones to keep them in touch and upload quick photos to social media, to websites equipped with tools to help them manage their customers, to smart watches to keep them running on time, successful entrepreneurs use all the tools of the trade!

5. Ongoing Learning is a Priority

Successful entrepreneurs know that ongoing learning is a priority that goes hand in hand with running their own businesses. The world today is changing more rapidly than ever. Think about it. Our parents grew up in homes with kitchen telephones mounted on the wall and computers were something that only NASA used. Now, we hold tiny telephone/computer combos in the palm of our hands. We have instant access to ever-changing data on a moment’s notice.

All this advancement comes, however, with a cost. That cost is the price of remaining on top of all these tools, new advancements, and changing information. A great example of this is Facebook with their ever-evolving algorithms, without keeping abreast of how to make your social media compete, it becomes irrelevant noise. Successful entrepreneurs are always mastering new skills, technologies, and ideas to help them propel their businesses up to the next level.

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” – John Wooden

6. Mastery of Face to Face Networking

While social media and the internet are all great tools, they are trumped by establishing human relationships. Successful entrepreneurs are masters of face to face networking. You’ll find them attending trade shows, conferences, chamber of commerce meetings, and social events. They will strike up a conversation with strangers at a pub or gathering. When other people fear putting themselves out there, the greatest entrepreneur will often be the first one to introduce themselves. For this is where they build the human relationships that drive the business.

Despite being optimistic and fearless, successful entrepreneurs know firsthand that there are times when they will, figuratively speaking, get knocked down. People will put down their ideas, and competitors will steal their customers or products. Even family members may doubt when the next “payday” is coming.

Even when faced with serious obstacles, money woes, and defeats, these fearless entrepreneurs will bounce back. Oftentimes, this happens over and over again. Yet, they will still plow forward, undaunted by the challenges they encounter. This never give up attitude is what truly sets entrepreneurs apart from the crowd.

The next time you are wondering why other entrepreneurs are more successful than you, look within yourself. All of these qualities are disciplines that are attainable with an adjustment of mindset and attitude. Once you accept the challenge of these disciplines, you’ll see stunning results. In fact, you will quickly see that you can earn more when you adopt the 7 habits of successful online entrepreneurs.

Which one of these 7 habits will you implement this year in your life? Let us know below!

(Infographic) 9 of the World’s Most Influential Female Entrepreneurs

The perception that the business world was a male-driven environment has been shattered in recent times by the extraordinary feats of many female entrepreneurs who have chased their dreams and worked tirelessly to make them come true. The wealthiest female entrepreneurs in the world not only should be proud of their own successes on a personal level but can also take pride in influencing and inspiring businesswomen everywhere to dream big, as anything is achievable.

This infographic below features nine female entrepreneurs who, each in their own way, had a burning ambition inside them and turned that passion into their life’s work, building multibillion-dollar enterprises along the way.

Some have done this in the traditional sense of entrepreneurship by starting small-scale companies and evolving them into global businesses – Spanx founder Sara Blakely is one such example. In her 20s, she greeted visitors at Disney World and sold fax machines door-to-door just to make a living. At 29, she took a leap of faith and set up her shaping underwear business from life savings of $5,000. She has now accrued wealth of more than $1 billion.

Some influential female entrepreneurs had already gained worldwide recognition by the time they started their own businesses. For instance, Beyoncé Knowles was a world-famous pop star who then doubled up her music career with a fashion label. This, along with her music and regular activism makes her a role model for millions of women worldwide.

Women like these have broken down barriers for female entrepreneurs everywhere and made it clear that you don’t need to be male to be recognized as a successful entrepreneur of great influence. Also, women can succeed in industries which many perceive to be male-driven; Cher Wang’s HTC is one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in the world. To quote Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”

Check out this infographic from All Finance Tax below that outlines 9 of the most influential female entrepreneurs in the world:

Which one of these women do you admire most and why? Comment below!

How Letting Go of Perfection Can Help You Build a Strong Company

The word “perfect” has a nice ring to it. After all, isn’t that what we should all strive for? We should be straight A students, be perfect at our jobs, raise perfect kids and have perfect bodies. The idea of being a perfectionist initially sounds like a good personality trait to possess. These are people who refuse to accept any standard short of perfection. They must have perfect lives and successful businesses, right?

If you answered “yes,” you’d be wrong. Those people who claim to be perfectionists most often do not have a perfect life and definitely do not have successful businesses. Studies have shown that perfectionism causes depression and holds people back from achieving big things in their lives and businesses.

Ibrahim Al-Haidos, founder of Fursan, has had lots of experience with perfectionism in his life. He was raised by a family of perfectionists, and he had the tendency to live his life that way himself for a long time. Now that he has shed those unrealistic expectations of himself and others, he shares his experience with perfectionism and the 5 lessons he has learned from it to build a strong and successful company.

1. Don’t Strive for Perfection

Perfect doesn’t exist. No one and nothing can ever be perfect. And you cannot succeed 100% of the time. It is perfectly acceptable to not achieve the results you were after all of the time. Strive for excellence and do the best you can. If you miss the mark, learn from it and apply those lessons the next time around.

Ibrahim’s family was full of perfectionists. His mother even measured the distance between the plate and cutlery. Initially, Ibrahim believed he couldn’t accept anything less than perfect in his own life and business. But striving for perfection slowed him down in the beginning. “Perfection simply is not possible, but you can achieve excellence. I needed to understand that it is ok not to get it right on the first try.”

“Looking for perfection is the only way to motivate yourself.” – Ronnie O’Sullivan

2. Embrace Diversity

Each employee you hire has his own set of unique skills. Each person will bring her own strengths and weaknesses to the table. Just like you and everything else in this world, your employees are not perfect. Some will be excellent speakers while others struggle with public presentations. Some will excel at learning new technology while others struggle. Never assume that your employees are all equally skilled at everything, and never expect perfection from anyone.

“One of my MBA professors at HEC Paris gave me some brilliant advice. She told me to always treat my employees the way I would want them to treat our customers. What I’ve found is that if you invest heavily in your employees, they will help you build an amazing company.”

3. Always Just Be Yourself

If you own your own business or are a leader within one, remember that you got into that position because of your unique strengths and abilities. Instead of attempting to be someone you are not, be yourself.

Your coworkers and employees don’t expect you to be perfect so never try to be someone you aren’t. They genuinely want to hear your own words, thoughts and feelings. And it is okay to be vulnerable when you don’t have all the answers. People respect you.

4. Put People First

Perfectionists have a tendency to focus on “stuff” rather than the people in their lives. Instead, put your heart and efforts into connecting with the people in your life. You are a human being, just like your lowest paid employee. You put on your pants the same way as everyone else, act like it. Don’t be afraid to show your human side to people. Be humble. Not only will you get more respect, your employees will work harder for you. People respect people, not machines.

“Being a part of human to human interaction is something I’ve enjoyed immensely.”

5. Trust your People

If you don’t trust the people you hired, you shouldn’t have hired them. And if you do trust your people, show it. Micromanaging your employees will only make them feel unwanted and unnecessary. You hired them to do a job, so let them do it their way.

Accept people as they are. Being flawed is a part of being a human being, and they will get it wrong from time to time. Again, let go of perfectionism and trust that your employees have your best interest at heart.

There is a big difference between perfect and excellent. You can always strive for excellence, but you should never chase perfection nor should you expect it from others. It is a race that cannot be won. Embrace failure. Trust yourself and your employees. Apply this to your life and business, and you will be successful.